Al Franken, US Senate Race, Minnesota Polls

NOT FOOLED

So Far, Franken Crushed By Incumbent






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Has Al Franken made a big mistake?

If Stuart thought quitting his radio talk show to run for a Minnesota US Senate seat would be a cakewalk, that scenario was smashed to bits by a new poll showing him well behind Senator Norm Coleman, the GOP incumbent.

Apparently, they aren't fooled in the North Star State, at least not yet.

According to The Hill, a non- partisan publication covering Congress, Franken truly has his work cut out for him:

Coleman ahead in Minnesota polls

By Aaron Blake

Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) leads both of his potential Democratic opponents — comedian Al Franken and attorney Mike Ciresi — by more than 20 points, according to a poll conducted by SurveyUSA for local KSTP-TV.

Coleman leads Franken, who entered the race Wednesday, 57–35. He leads Ciresi, who announced an exploratory committee Sunday, 57–34. The poll surveyed 632 likely voters on Monday and Tuesday, before Franken’s announcement.

The 2008 Minnesota Senate race is projected to be one of the most hard-fought in the country in the upcoming cycle.

Strangely enough, that's only slightly better than Stuart had fared when the same question was asked of Minnesota voters in 2004, according to the St Paul Pioneer Press:

In the past three decades, Franken has given his opponents a lot of material.

"He's a researcher's dream," said Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Ron Carey. An hour after Franken's announcement, Carey had pages of quotes ready.

Franken has a long record of saying things most politicians would not — from using four-letter words to discussing past drug use to downplaying his ability to hold office.

Asked by a Playboy interviewer in 2004 whether he ever saw himself holding office, Franken said: "I would be crushed by the sense of responsibility. Voting on whether to authorize the use of force is a big decision, especially on a close call. I don't know if I could handle that. That's what you're doing when you elect someone: You're giving them the opportunity to handle it."

Later that year, a Pioneer Press/Minnesota Public Radio poll found that 57 percent of likely Minnesota voters said they would pick Coleman in 2008, while 29 percent supported Franken.

Though it's true Franken will have major monetary support from the national Democrat Party's elite fundraisers, that's quite a gap. How will he overcome it?

More disturbing is that because his name recognition factor is extremely high, the issue clearly isn't one of voter awareness.

This rather startling poll data leads one to wonder just why he chose to take the plunge in the first place. With Air America perpetually in the toilet, was there simply no other choice?


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